Lacing machine



Dec. 16, 1930;

I H. D. COLMAN meme mourns Original Filed April 23. 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

.H H y s.

Inventor Howard llCoZman u I I I l l I .ll.Ll.. h|||ll|.llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIL Dec. 16, 1930. H. D. COLMAN 1,784,984

LACING MACHINE ori inai Filed April 23, 1928 a Sheets-Sheet 2 In van tor Howard llColman 16, 1930. H. D. comm 1,784,984

I LACING MACHINE Original Filed April 23, 1928 e Sheets-Sheet s inven ior award l1 002mm? H. D. COLMAN LACING MACHINE Dec. 16, 1930;

6 sheets sheet 4 Original Filed April 23, 1928 Inventor Howard DC'oZman Dec. 16, 1930. H. D. COLMAN 1,784,984

- LACING MACHINE I Original Filed April 23, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor HowafdllCoZman Dec. 16, 1930. H. D. COLMAN 1,784,984.

LACING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Original Filed April 23, 1928 INVENTOR Howard D. Colman ,ATTORNEYS 20 the ends of the lacingtogether.

' Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES HOWARD D.

PATENT OFFICE coLMAiv, or ROCKFORD, ILLInoIs, ASSIGNOR 'ro BARBER-GOLMAN coM- PAINY, or nocxronn, ILLINOIS, A conromirroiv 'QFILLINOIS.

LACING MAC INE Application filed April 23, 1328, Serial no.'e72,o29. -Renewed March "10,1930;

My application Serial No. 105,684, filed April 30, 1926, now Patent No. 1,774,591, dated Sept. 2, 1930,'discloses a skein-lacing machine comprising means for dividing a I skein into bundles of strands and means for drawingthe' ends of a lacing around the bundles, one end going over and'the other under a given bundle. The means for drawing the ends of the lacing around the bundle consists of two chains. The lacing is'brought into proximityto the ends of the chains by a so called looper, after which the mid-portion of the lacingis moved into engagement with the chains by means oftwo pivoted inserting-fingers. A g I I After, the ends oi 'the lacing have been drawn around the bundle, a pivoted passing in arm moves the ends of the lacing laterally into operative relation to knotter that ties One of the objects of-the "present invention is tosimplify the means for. associating the lacing in the knotter, This object'I have attained by dispensing with the passing-in arm and by utilizing a suction air current to draw the 'ends of the lacing into the knotter.

- A further obj ectis to dispensewith clamps forholding the lacing in operative relation to the tying bill and the stripper. disk, the

suctionair current being utilized for that purpose. v v

' Another object is to simplify the yieldable connection between the chains and the chainreciprocating means. i

In the accompanying drawings, i

Figure 1 is a fragmental rear elevation of the lacing mechanism, the comb by means of which the skeins are divided into bundles of strands being shown. in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental view of a tube through which, lacing; materials is; conducted that illustrated in Fig.4.

Fig. dis a transverse verticalsectionalto the mechanism that furnishes lengths of lacing .to thelacingchains.

Fig. 3 is a fragmenta-l left-hand vation of the machine. e Fig. 4 is a fragmental frontcelevation of the lacing mechanism. i

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the lacing mechanism and the tying mechanism, the-parts being shown in a'olifierent position from end eleview. I Y

Fig. (rise view showing the lacing'chains and the looper in the position illustrated in Fig.4. p "Fig. 6 is'a View of certain ofthe 'pa-rts shown in Fig. '6 ,"looking from the righthand side-o f'said figure."

1 Fig. 6 is a sectional view Fig.6.

Fig. 7- is a view looking from the lefthand sideofthe'knottying mechanism, the view being taken in the plane ofline 7 ofFig.8.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the knot-tying mechanismand certain related parts.

Fig. 8 is a section an line a-a of Fig. 8.

Figs. 9 and 10' are perspective views of the knot-tying mechanism in different positions.

Fig. vll is a plan view ofthe knot-tying mechanism with certain parts in section.-

on line c-b of Figs. 12, 13 and 14 illustrate a yieldable' connection between the chains and the chain reciprocating *means, and a portion of the means for efi'ecting stoppage of the machine in the event that the movement of the chains is obstructed.

The present invention has been disclosed in connection with a machine of the general type shown in said application Serial No.

105,684, but it is to be understood that the.

bundles of strands S (Figs. 4 and may be of any preferred construction. In Figure 1 I have indicated in dotted lines a comb similar to that fully disclosed in application Serial No. 105,684. 1 are the skein spacers and 2 are the comb teeth or skein piercers, However, the present invention is adapted for use in connection with a machine whereinthe skein is wound in such a manner that openings are produced therein to receivethe lacing.

The lacing mechanism is mounted upon a carriage C which is arranged to travel back and forth along the fly and below the comb. The carriageis provided with wheels 3 (Fig. 3) which run upon tracks 4 The carriage comprises an indexing bar-5 (Fig. 1) which may be guided as disclosed in application- Serial No. 105,684. r The carriage further comprises an upright 6 which'islsecured to the forward portion of the carriage by means ofstayrods7. 1 H

. The means for passing a lacing cord around the bundles comprises two flexible members (herein shown as consisting of chains) which are guided in symmetrical wavy or tortuous passageways formed in a lower-conduit block 8 and an upper conduit block 9. As, shown in Fig. 1, the upperconduit'block-9 is=secured to the forward end of a rod 10 whichisjsecured to the upper portion of the upright 6. The conduit block 9 travelswithin the series of skeins and through a passageway 11 (Fig. 3) formed in and extending longitudinally of the comb. The rod 10 normally holds" the conduit block 9 up out of the horizontalplane of the side of the skein which is beinglaced, said block being depressed into engagementwithsuccessive skeins by means fully disclosed in application Serial No. 105,684.

The conduit block 8 is secured to a slide 12 which is guided in the framework of the carriage C for vertical reciprocation. On the lower portion of. the slide 12 is a roller 13 (Fig. 5) that runs in the cam groove 14 of a spur gear wheel 15. Said gear wheel is driven in the manner disclosed in application Serial No. 105,684. The reciprocation of the slide 12 carries the conduit blockS into and out of operative position; Compare Figs. 4 and 5.

The lacing chains hereinbefore referred to are indicated at-16 in Figs. 4 and 12. The chains are reciprocated into and out of'the conduit blocks bygmea'ns of a car 17 (Figs. 12 and 13), said car vhaving rollers 18 that run in guideways 19 in the slide 12, A pitman 20 (Fig. 4) connects the car 17 to a crank 21that rotates with the spur gear wheel 15. In the slide 12 are twoparallel undercut grooves12. (Figs. 4, 8, 12 and-l3) to receive the chains .16, said grooves communicating with the channels in the conduit block 8, as

shown in Fig.4.

In order to prevent. breakage in-the event that the movement of the chains is obstructed, the chains are 'yieldingly connected to the car Vouredto the arm31 of'a'lever that is pivoted on the car 17 at 32. The other arm of the lever '31 constitutes a clamping member 33 which is adapted to coact with-a clamping member 34 on the car 17 to clamp a safety stopping bar 35. r 36 is an'expansiv'e spring that normally holds the block pressed against the projection 28. T In case thegn'iovement of the chains is obstructed the continuing travel of the car 17 causes the shaft 26 to turn to carry the arm 27 away [from the block 30, the spring 36 yielding to allow'the tapered projection 28 to leave the notch 29. As soon as said projection is out of the notch, the spring 36 moves the ,clamping member 33 into clamping en-' gagement with "the rod35, whereupon the machine is stoppedin the mannerdisclosed in application Serial No.;.10'5,684. V

On the free end of each chain '16 is a hook 37 (Fig. 6 The means for placing a lacing in engagement with said; hooks comprises a looper 38 (Fig.6) rigidly secured to the car 17 by means of a bracket 39. The looper38 has two upwardly directed fingers 40 which are spaced apart so as to pass at opposite sides of, the pair ofichains 16,. (see Fig. .6") In the upper ends of the fingers 40 'are notches 41. .M'eans of anyqpreferredcharacter, as,

I for example, that disclosed inapplication' Serial No. 105,684, is provided to hold. lacing material stretched in the path of upward movement of the fingers 40. In Fig: 6, lacing material L is shown as held extended between a clamp 42 and a guide eye 43. The guide eye 43 is formed in a tube 43 mounted on the carriage C. The lacing material is drawn through the tube 43 ,'the latter serving to protect the lacing material from fouling on parts of the machine. In the upward stroke of the-looper .38 the notched ends of the fingersr40engage the lacingL between the clamp 42.and the guide eye 43 and draw a tight of lacing material up to the lacing: chain. Lacing material is drawn through the chains. V r

Twoplates 44 (Fig. 6) are secured to the conduit block in vertical position between the paths of the looper fingers 40 and at opposite "sides of the vertical planes of-the guide eye 43 as the lacing is carried up to the chains 1'6. As shown in-Fig.-6, the edgesof said platesareso shaped that after the lacing has passed the hooks 37 it is cammed or deflected nearer the chains and thus placed inpositionto betaken' by the'hookss H its As $111 ('Fi it) i .thef Qnd it 10 118 xtends etwee the. v i a plane in w ich the chains 16 travel and servesasan abutment to holdor. detain: the mid-portion of the lacingwhile the ends of the latter arebeing drawnby the hooks37 around the bundles At the time the looper delivers the Q lacingto the lacing chains, .as shown in Figs. 6 and 6' thelooper. clamp 42Iig. 6) opens, and a shear46; actsrtosever the lacing, as explained-in application Serial N 0. 105,684.

Since themid-point of thelacing is in contact with the rib 4:5,and the chain hooks37. engage the lacing on oppositesides of and close to said. rib (as shown in Fig. 6), it will be seen that. when the chains are drawn out of thepassages in the conduit blocks they will draw the legs of the bight' of lacing around the bundlesS andwill deliver the ends ,of the lacing to. theopposite end of the conduitblocks While the chains are being retracted, as just described, the mid-point of the lacingis heldby the rib,4'5, and the legs of the bight slip through the hooks 37. As

the chains travelthrough the conduit blocks they draw the lacing around the bundles of the skein andcontinually shorten the trailing ends ofthe lacing"; and when the chains arrive,inssuch'position thatthey are. wholly within the chain-guiding grooves 12, the ends of the lacing will have become. free.-

When the ends of the lacing have beendelivered .intothe grooves 12*,theconduit blocks are causedto separate. WhentheloWercOnduit block 8 descends-the rib 15 slides-away from the mid-point. of the lacing and the. latter engages the firstbundle of the skein.

Inthe presentaeinbodirnent o'fithe invention, the. knot-tying '1nechanis1n is not recip rocated' up and down, but; is'located as [close as practicable to the horizontal plane of the" bundles S. The form of iknotter herein shown co nprises a rotary tyingbill 47 11) similar to the one disclosed in thepatent to. Burt A. Peterson No. 959,592, d'atediM'ay 31, 1910. The shaft 18" of the tying billis horizontally disposed and" is continuously rotated by means of a pinion 49 on said shaft;

meshing with a gear wheel'50 on a Vertical shaft 51*. Below the tying billisa suctionconduit 52 which is connected by means of a tube53to' an exhauster (not shown).- The conduit 52 extends transversely of the tying bill shaft 18, as shown-in'Fig. 1'1. On the.

vertically reciprocatoryslide 12' is a, short tube 54. (Figs. Sand 8) which communicates with the chain-guiding'passages 12?. The

tube. 5 1; is; of 'suchlengthand; so positioned:

on the slide 12 that when the latter is in its lowermostposition, as...sho.Wri iI'1 ;v F igs Sand;- 83. he. tube-1 4i s alinedii name; close to;

conduit 52 between the tying bill 47-and the lacing mechanism is a sleeve 59 which is slotted or. cut away in its upper portion.- The edge 60 (Fig. 11). of said slot iscurvedso thatewhenthe sleeve 59 is turned in the clock: Wise direction (as viewedfin Fig. 9) the slot.

' 58 in the conduit52will be gradually closed or covered, beginning at a pointadjacent to the tying bill, and will be gradually juncovered when the sleeve 55 9 turns in I the opposite direction. The sleeve 5 9.; is arranged tobe oscillatedfbymeans of an arin 611which is rigid with said sleeve and carries a rollerj that lies in the groove ofs a: cam 62; whichv is fixed on the-shaft 51. a

Above, theztying bill 47 are. two parallel horizontal plates .orabutlnents 63. and .641. 65..-is a .stripper disk; mounted for rotation in a horizontal planezbetweenthe plates .63 and 64;, saididisk beingdrivenirom the shaft-51- by meansof the gear-train oti (Fig. -7 In the edge of the plate 64 is; anotch- 67 which.

cooperates with the. dlsk 6 5 in thetlghtenlng;

otthe knot 'and the-strippingof thelatter from the tying billA'Z.

"Referring to Fig. 5 which showsthe car 17 in its l0W III1OSt position, wherein the chains are Wholly within the grooves 12, the vertically; reciprocatory. structure and 12 also being in its lowermost position wherein the tube:54isginregisten withithe suction conduit-- 52 The suctionZ current in; the, conduit 52 dnaws the ends,- O f;.the.lacing out ofthe grooves. 12? and-through the. throatway' 57 into the slot. 5.6. The-edge 6.0 of-.;the oscill'a-, tory sleeve 59 -serves as a-timin-g cam .to;p,1e vent the. ends oftheilacing from being drawn. into thelrea'r portion ofthe slot 58 until the constantly rotating; tying bill is in position to receive theim; When. theqtyingbill is in; the position shown in Fig. '5', thesleeve 59' allows the ends of the lacing to pass laterally into the-rear or inner end of the slot 58. In the revolution of the tyingbillin the-counterclockwise direction (as .viewed in Figs 5 and; 9.) -,'the bill engages.the lacing and tiesa knot; in the mannerfully describedi in said--Petersonpatent. As thetying; bill is completing the lacing withqthe chainsylfiandthe means,

for transferringqthe Placing from. the chains to; eknotten-I ha e efieeted a subs antia ire-1 duetieni in;.ees.t.;q

chine. The safety mechanism disclosed in application Serial No. 105,684 for efiecting stoppage of the machine in the event of interference with the movement of thepassing-in arm is nolonger necessary. By utilizing the suction current for holding the lacingin the knotter,it has been possibleto dispense with the clamps shown for that-purpose in said application.

I Although I have described the present embodiment of'the invention with considerable particularity, it should-be understood that various constructional and operative rearrangements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as set forthin' the following claims. i

"I claim as my invention: 9

1. In a skein-lacing and lace-tying mechanism, the combination of a'vertically reciprocatory structure having channels therein,lacing members reciprocable in said channels, a tube fixed to said structure and communicating with said channels, astationary knot ter comprising a rotary tying bill, two guide plates above the tying bill and a rotary stripper disk between said plates,'a suction conduit below said tying bill and arranged 'to register with'said 7 tube in one position of the latter, the upperwalls of said tube and conduit being longitudinally slotted to permit-thesuction current to l draw the ends'of thelacing from said channels and through said slots into operative relation to said tying bill and plates,'and a reciprocatory 'memher arranged to control the slot in the suction conduit to time the movement ofthe ends of the lacing into operative relation to the ty-' v ing bill.

2, Ina skeiIi-lacingand lace-tying mechan1sm,"the combination of a vertically reciprocatory channeled structure, lac ng" means reciprocable in saidchanneled structure,a

tube fixed, to and communicating with said channeled structure, a stationary knotter, a suction conduit below the knotter and arranged to register with said tube in one position of thelatter, theupper walls of said tube and conduit-being longitudinally slotted to permit the suction current to draw the ends of the lacing from said channeled structure and through said slots into operative rela tionto the knotter, and means to controlthe slot in the suction conduit to time the move- 7 ment of the ends of the lacing into operative relation to the knotter, 3, In a skein-lacingandlace-tying mechanism, the combination of a verticallyreciprocatory channeled structure, lacing means reciprocable in said structure, a tube fixed to and communlcating 'wlth said 7 channeled structure, a statlonary knotter compr sing a rotary tying bill, two guide plates above'the tying bill and a rotary stripper disk between said plates,and a suction conduit below said tyingbill-and arrangedto register with said receive thelacing from said lacing means in one position of the latter, thev upper wall of said conduit being longitudinally slotted to permit the suction current to draw the ends of the lacing through the slot into operative relation to said tying billand plates, and means to control the slot in the suction conduit to time the movement of theends ofthe lacing into operative'relation to the'tyin'g bill;

5. In a skein-lacing and lace-tying mechanism, the combination of lacing members, a

tube adjacent to the ,path of said members, a knotter, and a suction conduit adjacent to the knotter and adapted to register with said tube,-sai.d tube'and conduit being slotted to permit the suction air current to draw the ends of the lacing through said slots and into, operative relation to the knotterl V 6. The combination of lacing mechanism, a tube adjacent to said mechanism, aknotter, a suction conduit adjacent to the knotter and adapted to register with said tube, said tube and conduit being slotted to permit the suction air current to ,draw the ends of the lacing through said slots and into operative relation to the knotter, means-tocontrol the passage. of the lacing through the 1 slot 'in said conduit.

7 In a skein-lacing and lace-tying mechanism, the combination of lacing means, a tying'bill, a suction conduit below the tying bill arranged to receivethe lacing from said lacing'means, said conduitbeing slotted'to permit the suction air current to draw the ends of the lacing laterally through the slot andinto operative relation to'the tying hill.

8. In a skein-lacing and lace-tying mechanism, the combination of lacing means, a knotter, means .forming'a conduit extending between the knotter and said lacing means, said conduit-forming means being slotted to permit the suction air current to draw' the ends of the lacing laterally through the slot and into operative relation to the knotter.

9. In a skein-lacing mechanism, two lacing-members having hooks, two reciprocatory fingers arranged to pass at'opposite sides of said hooks and carry a bight of lacing there-- to, and two stationary plates located between the paths of said fingers and at oppoflsite sides of said hooks, said plates havingcam edges adapted to deflect the lacing into position to be taken by said hooks.

10. In a skein-lacing mechanism, lacing means including hooks, two reciprocatory fingers arranged to pass atopposite sides of said hooks and carry a bight of lacing thereto, and stationary means located between the paths of said fingers and at'opposite sides of said hooks and acting upon the lacing as the latter is being moved by said fingers,

to deflect the lacing into position to be taken by said hooks. 1 I

11. Ina skein-lacing mechanism, lacing means including hooks, means to carry a lacing to the hooks, two-stationary plates located at opposite sides of said hooks, said plates having cam edges adapted to deflect the lacing into position to be taken by said hooks. i

12. In a skein-lacing mechanism, lacing means including hooks, means to carry a bight of lacing to the hooks, and two stationary members located at opposite sides of said hooks, said members acting upon the lacing as the latter is being moved by the second-mentioned means to deflect the lacing into position to be taken by said hooks.

13. In a skein-lacing machine, the combination of a guiding structure, two lacing chains movable in said structure, a slide con nected to each chain, said slide beingnotched, a reciprocatory car, a lever pivoted onsaid car, said lever having two arms engaging in the notches in said slides, and a stop-motion member yieldingly engaging another arm of said lever to hold said lever normally sta tionary with reference to said car. i l

14. The combination of a rotary tying bill, two abutments at one side of the tying bill, a stripping member operating between said abutments, and a suction conduit extending transversely of the axisoi' the tying bill at the opposite side thereof, said conduit having a longitudinal slot in the side toward the tying bill to permit the suction current to draw the strands to be tied across the tying bill and said abutments. V V

15. The combination of a rotary tying bill,

stripping means at one side of the bill, a suction conduit at the opposite side of the bill, said conduit extending transversely of the axis of the bill and having a longitudinal slot f in the side toward the bill to permit the suction current to draw the strands to be tied into operative relation tothe bill and the stripping means, and means to'control the passage of the strands along the slot.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature. 7 a

- HOWARD D. COLMAN. 

